WiFi Has More Call Capacity than Cell Phones

Cellular operators have a lot of incentive to implement reliable handoffs from cell to cell in order to keep their customers happy. It is challenging enough for the engineers even though they control the cells themselves. Can you imagine having reliable handoffs between a bunch of widely variable wifi systems? There are also IP routing issues, QOS issues (anyone using VOIP knows how important this is), transmission power control issues currently used extensively by cellular systems, dropped packet issues, and unpredictable latency. The article begs a lot of questions.

 

Possibility? We've been doing this for months here at my job.

 

Wireless carriers will most likely embrace this technology in time, but most likely based only on private home or office wifi use, Other than T-mobile, there is not a reason any major wireless carrier would want to embrace this technology and leave it open to any and all wifi hotspots. It wouldn't make them any revenue to do so.

As for the parts about linking with office phones etc. That has been done for quite some time, and quite well by Ascendant Telecom (a little known company that just got scooped up by RIM.) I was working with them back when they were Travlers Telecom.... Nice thing about living in Hilton Head, is I never have trouble getting vendors to come for a visit.

 

We use Cisco hardware and software for this.

 

I guess the systems we are talking about are similar in end result, but very different in implementation, the system I was referring to is server based, and would bypass the need for building out a wifi network or an inbuilding network like Spectralink. It would tie into the PBX, and ring the wireless and desk phones at the same time and give you direct inward dialing from your regular cellphone. Since they got purchased by RIM, I would expect to see them tied into a BES purchase. Wireless carriers prefer this type of network since they can control the wireless portion as opposed to a third party. As compared to older solutions like Panasonic Business Link (1/2 cordless, 1/2 cellphone.) solutions to PBX integration.

When I worked for smaller carriers, it was an easier sell to set-up a campus rate plan (unlimited usage around a property or campus.), but because of the numbers of customers and numbers of cellsites, it becomes more difficult (politically not technically) to set-up this type of system in billing. So I.T. directors will most likely be pushing for ways they can implement campus solutions without breaking the bank. With the RIM purchase and products such as Skype and Vonage becoming common place, It's only time before you see these products in prime time.

My guess is that once the PBX vendors embrace it an make it their own, then you will see in the enterprise space. As for small business and SOHO customers, the push will come from wireless providers when they are ready for it...and see a good way to make money from it.

 

That system you're talking about sounds like the SimulRing feature in some VoIP phone services like Vonage where you can designate several phone lines that will ring at the same time when someone calls one of them. We can do this too without ever using the WiFi network but it will use cellular minutes since the call has to reach the PDA via the cellular network.

The WiFi implementation obviously doesn't use minutes because it doesn't use the cellular network. This is good for some of us who don't want to carry two phones around campus, which means we can carry both our personal cell phone line and our work line in one device. Of course, the WiFi doesn't work once you step out of the buildings and it doesn't handoff to the cellular network, but that's the idea: We really don't want to be reached if we are not on duty. And because its GSM, it means we can change the SIM card anytime to a regular phone if we don't need a bulky PDA on our belts and rather carry a light and small phone when not at work.

 

I have a Vonage WiFi phone (F1000) which works pretty well in most hot spots. Skype has several similar phones. There are quite a few handsets with built in WiFi. These have been available for some time.

WiFi phones are moving forward and will continue to do so, whether or not the wireless providers grab onto this market.

Things are getting interesting.

 

How's the battery life on your WiFi phone? I've heard WiFi is a battery hog, especially on PDAs.

 

The battery life is more or less similar to my cell phones with similar usage. It will go more than three days with usage of 30 - 60 mins/day. I have not done a real test on the battery life so my numbers are an educated guess.

The battery is larger than the LiIon battery in some of my cell phone batteries. This would certainly contribute to a longer battery life.

I have noticed that the F1000 will stay connected to the same ASP even when I have moved to a point where there is a stronger ASP. This leads me to believe that it does not automatically search once it has connected until it loses the original ASP connection.

 

I have a Verizon 6700 and use the Skype Pocket PC Client...It's usable on wifi...I don't have evdo in my area yet, but will try it on evdo next week in Florida.

As for wifi around town, there are a couple of options, most of the harbours and tourist areas have pay for use wifi... as for my home network I have wifi, and a non broadcasted ssid, and encryption, my neighbor has a linksys router (fresh out of the box) and often my phone will jump onto their system. I haven't figured out who it is yet...

Skype on wifi is nice, but not near enough coverage or call quality to be ready for prime time.

Dedicated wifi voice on a private wifi network tied into your PBX I imagine would have better call quality?

 

I use the F1000 to sniff out WiFi ASPs as I travel. It finds both secure and open ASPs.

Last Summer, I used my laptop with NetStumbler running as I took a train from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo.

The number of open WiFi ASPs which I have found is amazing.